Game board with apertured goal enclosure

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a game board comprising a playing deck with at least one ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed thereon and ball impelling members adapted to be used therewith. The goal enclosures each have at least two apertures formed therein with a ball passageway connecting the apertures. The floor of the ball passageway slopes upwardly from the lowermost portion of the apertures to form an apex between the apertures.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Floyd F. Mellen,.|r.

8417 Pacific St., Omaha, Nebr. 68124 [21] Appl. No. 764,876 [22] Filed Oct. 3, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 9, 1971 {54] GAME BOARD WITH APERTURED GOAL ENCLOSURE 8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 273/119, 273/127, 273/129 [51] Int. Cl A63d 3/02 [50] Field olSearch 273/127, 127C, 1 19, 122, 123, 124, 125, 14, 94C, 85C. 85D

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 733,365 7/1903 Bliss 273/14 1.934,502 11/1933 Husted 273/14 2,215,687 9/1940 Carter 273/85 2,967,713 1/1961 Kumpman 273/119 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,027,033 5/1953 France 273/123 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown Attorney-Henderson and Strom ABSTRACT: This invention relates to a game board comprising a playing deck with at least one ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed thereon and ball impelling members adapted to be used therewith. The goal enclosures each have at least two apertures formed therein with a ball passageway connecting the apertures. The floor of the ball passageway slopes upwardly from the lowermost portion of the apertures to form an apex between the apertures.

PATENTEU FEB 9l97l 3561.763

sum 1 or 2 INVENTOR FLOYD F. MELLEN, JR.

ATTORNEYS PATENTEU FEB 9l97l I 3561, 763

' sum 2 or 2 T as / FIG.7

68 S7 INVENTOR FLOYD F. MELLEN, JR. BY m/f/ F |G.8' a FIG?) ATTORNEYS GAME BOARD WITH APERTURED GOAL ENCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a game board for use with a suitable ball comprising a playing deck and at least one ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed thereon. The goal enclosures are provided with at least two apertures and a ball passageway connecting the apertures. The goal enclosures are designed to return to the playing deck a ball impelled through the apertures into the goal enclosure. If the ball is skillfully impelled through the apertures in the goal enclosure, the ball will be returned to the playing deck through an aperture other than the one through which it was impelled. This invention also relates to ball impelling members adapted to be used with the above described game apparatus.

Various games and game devices wherein a ball or similar projectile is impelled into a goal or the like are disclosed in the following U.S. Pats. Nos. Brown, 2,832,596; Barbot, et al., 2,282,846; Carter, 2,215,687; Brumder, 1,689,475; and Taylor, 1,226,028. In all of these games, skill is delineated only by the placement of the projectile in the goal. No means are provided in these games or game devices to delineate the skills of those who can impel the projectile through the apertures in the goal at specific angles or to specific locations to thereby obtain a higher score. Additionally, storage of many of these games in unwieldy and difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a game board comprising a playing deck having walls disposed about the perimeter thereof and having at least one ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed thereon. At least two apertures extending upwardly from the plane of the playing deck are formed in the side of each goal enclosure facing the approximate center of the playing deck and a ball passageway connecting the apertures is formed in each goal enclosure. The bottom floor of the ball passageway slopes upwardly of the playing deck from the apertures to form an apex within the ball passageway remote from the apertures. Various ball impelling means are provided for impelling a suitable ball through the apertures of the goal enclosures.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved game board.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved game board in which a ball impelled into a goal enclosure is automatically returned to the playing area.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus, including a game board and impelling members adapted to be used therewith, which is capable of delineating the relative skill of those who can impel the ball through the apertures and into the goal enclosures at specific angles or to specific locations.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus in which the component parts can be readily stored.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game board of this invention with impellor elements slidably and rotatably mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

this is a perspective view of a game board of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the game board taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an abbreviated cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an abbreviated cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a paddle adapted for use with the game board of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the paddle;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the hand guard of the paddle taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the game board of this invention is generally indicated at 11 in FIGS. 1 and 4. The game board comprises a bottom playing deck 12 which is planar and of rectangular configuration. Two oppositely disposed sidewalls 13, 14 and two oppositely disposed end walls 16, 17 are disposed about the playing deck 12 and connected to the perimeter thereof.

Two goal walls 18, 19 are disposed on the playing deck 12 and are attached to opposite sidewalls 13, 14. Each goal wall 18, 19 is disposed parallel to and proximate of an opposite end wall 16, 17 and facing the approximate center of the playing deck 12 and, therefore, facing each other. Two oppositely disposed ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosures indicated generally at 21, 22 (FIGS. 1 and 4) are thereby formed on and upwardly extending of the upper surface 23 (FIGS. 3 and 6) of the playing deck 12. The goal enclosures 21, 22 may be open at the top (FIG. 1) or enclosed by covers 24, 26 (FIG. 4).

Each of the goal walls 18, 19 has two apertures 27 (FIGS. 1- -6) formed therethrough. The apertures 27 are spaced apart and extend upwardly of the upper surface 23 of the playing deck 12. Each of the apertures 27 is formed through the goal walls 18, 19 proximate an opposite sidewall l3, 14 FIGS. I and 4).

Ball passageways 28, 29 (FIGS. 1 and 6) are formed through each of the goal enclosures 2], 22 by an end wall 16. 17 and the goal wall 18, 19 disposed parallel to and proximate of the end wall 16, 17. The ball passageways 28, 29 are enclosed at the ends thereof by portions of the sidewalls 13, 14. The ball passageways 28, 29 connect the apertures 27 in each goal enclosure 21,22.

A bottom floor 31 (FIGS. 2 and 5) is formed in each of the ball passageways 28, 29. The upper surface 32 of bottom floor 31 is in the plane of the upper surface 23 of the playing deck 12 at each aperture 27 and slopes upwardly from the apertures 27 to form a horizontal apex 33 perpendicular of the center of the goal walls 18, 19. The upper surface 32 of the bottom floor 31 also slopes upwardly from the apertures 27 to the end walls 16, 17. The angle of slope upwardly ofthe upper surface 23 of the playing deck 12 preferably, but not necessarily, ranges from about 2 to about 45.

In one species of this invention, a ball receiving depression 34 (FIGS. 4 and 7) can be formed in the center of the upper surface 23 of the playing deck. The depression 34 is provided to receive and hold thc ball prior to the beginning of the game when paddles (hereinafter described) are utilized herewith as the ball impelling members. On either side of the depression 34 and between the depression 34 and the goal walls I8, 19, paddle receiving depressions 36, 37 are formed to receive the paddles prior to beginning the game.

Members 38 (FIG. 1) are disposed on the playing deck 12 at each juncture of the sidewalls 13, 14 and the end walls 16, 17 to form a ball deflecting surface within the goal enclosure 21, 22. These members 38 are generally triangular in shape. The hypotenuse 39 of the triangle forms an inner ball deflecting surface and extends, in a substantially vertical plane, obliquely from a sidewall l3, 14 to an end wall 16, 17. The hypotenuse 39 can be planar as shown in FIG. 1 or the hypotenuse can be of arcuate configuration, i.e., concave with respect to the sidewall 13, 14 and end wall l6, 17. Members 38 can be separate members as shown in FIG. 1 or these members 38 can be integrated into the sidewalls 13, 14 and end walls 16, 17. If the game board 11 is manufactured from wood, the members 38 are generally separate, integral elements while, integral elements when the game board is molded from plastic or the like, the members 38 are generally integrated into the ends of the sidewalls 13, I4 and the end walls 16, 17.

The inner surface 41 (FIG. 4) facing the center of the play- 1 ing deck 12, at the juncture of the sidewalls 13, 14 and the goal walls 18, of the extends obliquely and in an arcuate fashion, in a substantially vertical plane, from the sidewalls 13, 14 to the outermost edge 42 of the aperture 27 formed in the goal walls l8, 19, thereby forming a ball deflecting surface. The inner surface 41 can be formed as the hypotenuse of a separate triangular member as described above or it can be formed as shown in FIG. 4, as an integral, molded portion of the sidewalls 13, 14 and the goal walls 18, 19.

In one species of this game, a series of impellor elements is utilized with the above described game board 11. The impellor elements are generally indicated at 43 in FIG. 1 and are adapted for impelling a suitable ball toward the apertures 27 in the goal walls 18, 19. The impellor elements 43 are disposed transversely above the playing deck 12 and between the goal walls 18, 19.

The impellor elements 43 each comprise a rod 44 (FIG. 3) extending outwardly of the sidewalls 13, 14 and slidably and rotatably mounted in journal means 46. The journal means 46 are formed in the sidewalls 13, 14 of the game board 11. The rod 44, thus mounted, extends above the playing deck 12 and substantially parallel to the goal walls 18, 19. A plurality of rectangular striking elements 47, 48 (FIG. 3) depend downwardly from the rod 44 to a positionproximate the playing deck 12 and are attached to rod 44 with screws 49. The striking elements 47, 48 have flat striking surfaces (FIG. 1) facing each goal wall 18,19.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, one of the striking elements 48 (FIG. 3) nearest to a sidewall 14 on each impellor element 43 is attached to the rod 44 such that the outermost edge 51 of the striking element 48 is at a distance, A, from the nearest sidewall 14, which is less than the distance B, that the rod 44 extends outwardly from the other sidewall 13. The innermost edge 52 of the striking element 48 is at a distance, C, from the nearest sidewall 14 which is greater than the distance B. The impellor element 43 is thereby prevented from slipping out ofjournal means 46 while the game is being played. To facilitate removal of the impellor elements 43 for storage or shipping, the striking element 48 is rotatably attached proximate the innermost edge 52 of striking element 48. The striking element 48 can then be rotated after removal of screw 49 as shown in FIG. 3. The rod 44 (FIG. 3) can then be disengaged from journal means 46 by sliding the rod 44 in journal means 46 to the right until contact of striking element 48, in its rotated position, and journal means 46 formed in sidewall 14 is attained. The end 53 of the rod 44 distal of striking element 48 is thereby freed of the journal means 46. The rod 44 can then be disengaged from journal means 46 in sidewall 14 by lifting the end 53'of the rod 44 upwardly and sliding the rod 44 to the left.

In another species of this game, a suitable ball is impelled over the game board 11 with a paddle generally indicated at 54 in FIGS. 8 and 9. The paddle 54 comprises a resilient striker member 56 having two oppositely disposed, flat, striking surfaces 57, 58. The striker member 56, as shown in FIG. 9, is of generally circular configuration with a fiat bottom surface 59. An elongate hole 61 is formed in the striker member 56 for receiving the handle (described hereinafter).

An elongate handle member 62 is affixed, at one end thereof in the elongate hole 61 of the striker member 56. A circular guard member 63 (FIG. having a hole 64 through the center thereof is affixed on the handle member 62 normal of the longitudinal axis of the handle member 62 and intermediate the ends thereof. The guard member 63 is provided to protect the hands of those playing the game. I

The species of this game shown in FIGS. l3 is played by assigning alternate impellor elements 43 to opposing players. The players attempt to impel a suitable ball into either aperture 27 of their assigned goal enclosure 21, 22 while preventing the opposing players from impelling the ball into either aperture 27 oftheir assigned goal enclosure 21, 22. Skill ofindividual players is displayed not only by impelling the ball into an aperture 27 of the goal enclosure 21, 22 but also by impelling the ball into one aperture 27 ofa goal enclosure 21, 22 and having it return to the playing deck through the other aperture 27 of the goal enclosure 21, 22.

The species of this game shown in FIGS. 4l0 is played in exactly the same manner except opposing players use paddles 54 to impel the ball through apertures 27 of the goal enclosures 21, 22.

Because of the sloped bottom floor 31 of the ball passageways 28, 29in the goal enclosures 21, 22, the ball is always returned to the playing deck 12.

Although a preferred embodiment has been described hereinbefore, it is to be remembered that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game board for a game to be played with a ball or the like, the game board comprising:

a bottom playing deck;

walls disposed about and connected to the perimeter of said playing deck;

a first ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed on and upwardly extending of the upper surface of said playing deck; said enclosure having one side thereof facing the approximate center of said playing deck;

two spaced apart apertures extending upwardly from the upper surface of said playing deck formed in said first enclosure; said apertures being formed in said one side of said enclosure;

a ball passageway formed through said first enclosure, said ball passageway connecting said apertures formed in said first enclosure;

a bottom floor in said ball passageway said bottom floor being in the plane of the upper surface of said playing deck at each aperture and sloping upwardly therefrom to form an apex between said apertures;

a deflecting means disposed in said passageway behind each aperture and extending in a substantially vertical plane obliquely to each said aperture and said passageway, thereby forming a ball deflecting surface to direct a ball entering either said aperture into said passageway;

whereby a ball adapted to be impelled over said playing deck can be skillfully impelled through one of said apertures in said first enclosure, pass through said ball passageway in said first enclosure, and return to said playing deck through the other of said apertures in said first enclosure.

2. The game board ofclaim 1 including a second ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure identical to said first enclosure disposed on the upper surface of said playing deck oppositely said first enclosure; said one side of said second enclosure facing said oppositely disposed first enclosure.

3. The game board of claim 2 wherein said playing deck is planar and of rectangular configuration; and said walls comprise two oppositely disposed sidewalls and two oppositely disposed endwalls, with said first enclosure disposed on one said endwall and said second enclosure disposed'on the other said endwall with each said enclosure extending between said sidewalls.

4. The game board of claim 3 wherein:

a series of impellor elements suitable for impelling a ball toward said apertures in said goal enclosures is disposed transversely above said playing deck between said goal walls, said impellor elements comprising;

a rod slidably and rotatably mounted extending above said playing deck substantially parallel to said goal walls and extending outwardly of the sidewalls;

a plurality of spaced striking elements attached to said rod and normally depending downwardly from said rod to a position proximate the playing deck; said striking elements having flat striking surfaces facing each of said goal walls.

5. The game board of claim 4 wherein:

journal means are formed through opposite sidewalls suitable for slidably and rotatably mounting said rods of said impellor elements;

said rods of said impellor elements are slidably and rotatably mounted in said journal means and extend outwardly beyond said sidewalls;

at least one of said striking elements nearest to a sidewall is attached to said rod such that the outermost edge of said striking element is disposed at a distance from the nearest sidewall less than the distance that said rod extends outwardly from the other sidewall, and the innermost edge of said striking element is disposed at a distance from said nearest sidewall greater than the distance that said rod extends outwardly from said other sidewall; said striking element being rotatably attached at its innermost edge to said rod whereby removal of the rod from said journal means is facilitated.

6. The game board of claim 1 wherein each said passageway bottom floor slopes upwardly at an angle from the plane of said playing deck to said apex, of at least 2 and no more that 45.

7. The game board of claim 6 wherein the inner surface at each juncture, facing the center of said playing deck. of said sidewalls and said goal walls extends in a substantially vertical plane, obliquely from said sidewall to the outermost edge of said aperture formed in said goal wall proximate said sidewall. thereby forming a ball deflecting surface.

8. The game board of claim 1 including a paddle adapted to be utilized therewith comprising:

a resilient striking member having two oppositely disposed flat surfaces normally in a vertical plane; an elongate handle member affixed to said striking member; a guard member affixed to said handle member normal of the longitudinal axis of the handle member and intermediate the ends thereof and extending outwardly of said handle member. 

1. A game board for a game to be played with a ball or the like, the game board comprising: a bottom playing deck; walls disposed about and connected to the perimeter of said playing deck; a first ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure disposed on and upwardly extending of the upper surface of said playing deck; said enclosure having one side thereof facing the approximate center of said playing deck; two spaced apart apertures extending upwardly from the upper surface of said playing deck formed in said first enclosure; said apertures being formed in said one side of said enclosure; a ball passageway formed through said first enclosure, said ball passageway connecting said apertures formed in said first enclosure; a bottom floor in said ball passageway said bottom floor being in the plane of the upper surface of said playing deck at each aperture and sloping upwardly therefrom to form an apex between said apertures; a deflecting means disposed in said passageway behind each aperture and extending in a substantially vertical plane obliquely to each said aperture and said passageway, thereby forming a ball deflecting surface to direct a ball entering either said aperture into said passageway; whereby a ball adapted to be impelled over said playing deck can be skillfully impelled through one of said apertures in said first enclosure, pass through said ball passageway in said first enclosure, and return to said playing deck through the other of said apertures in said first enclosure.
 2. The game board of claim 1 including a second ball receiving and rejecting goal enclosure identical to said first enclosure disposed on the upper surface of said playing deck oppositely said first enclosure; said one side of said second enclosure facing said oppositely disposed first enclosure.
 3. The game board of claim 2 wherein said playing deck is planar and of rectangular configuration; and said walls comprise two oppositely disposed sidewalls and two oppositely disposed endwalls, with said first enclosure disposed on one said endwall and said second enclosure disposed on the other said endwall with each said enclosure extending between said sidewalls.
 4. The game board of claim 3 wherein: a series of impellor elements suitable for impelling a ball toward said apertures in said goal enclosures is disposed transversely above said playing deck between said goal walls, said impellor elements comprising; a rod slidably and rotatably mounted extending above said playing deck substantially parallel to said goal walls and extending outwardly of the sidewalls; a plurality of spaced striking elements attached to said rod and normally depending downwardly from said rod to a position proximate the playing deck; said striking elements having flat striking surfaces facing each of said goal walls.
 5. The game board of claim 4 wherein: journal means are formed through opposite sidewalls suitable for slidably and rotatably mounting said rods of said impellor elements; said rods of said impellor elements are slidably and rotatably mounted in said journal means and extend outwardly beyond said sidewalls; at least one of said striking elements nearest to a sidewall is attached to said rod such that the outermost edge of said striking element is disposed at a distance from the nearest sidewall less than the distance that said rod extends outwardly from the other sidewall, and the innermost edge of said striking element is disposed at a distance from said nearest sidewall greater than the distance that said rod extends outwardly from said other sidewall; said striking element being rotatably attached at its innermost edge to said rod whereby removal of the rod from said journal means is facilitated.
 6. The game board of claim 1 wherein each said passageway bottom floor slopes upwardly at an angle from the plane of said playing deck to said apex, of at least 2* and no more that 45*.
 7. The game board of claim 6 wherein the inner surface at each juncture, facing the center of said playing deck, of said sidewalls and said goal walls extends in a substantially vertical plane, obliquely from said sidewall to the outermost edge of said aperture formed in said goal wall proximate said sidewall, thereby forming a ball deflecting surface.
 8. The game board of claim 1 including a paddle adapted to be utilized therewith comprising: a resilient striking member having two oppositely disposed flat surfaces normally in a vertical plane; an elongate handle member affixed to said striking member; a guard member affixed to said handle member normal of the longitudinal axis of the handle member and intermediate the ends thereof and extending outwardly of said handle member. 